Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-08
SESORITA'S SLIPPERS.

y " me In lonely Inn In the heart J
1ouesA Every year Robert Fortes-
n 0God 10 start of for our holiday | a
~ oon3incnt-that was In our bach | =
n 81 course. Well, Il was the last |
1oncu0 aud ! were destined 10 have l
~ - II turned out, and after much |
~ and debating OF pros and cons We |
19rood 10 try quito new grounds, and |
M of for the Pyrenees. We stayed |
9oW days a. Pau, and after some pre-
~ excursions among the neigbboring
~ 70 get ourselves into proper walking
~ made our final arrangements, and
n hired one OF the best guides l ever
n 1oBe Martinez by name, we said fare
- our friends at the Hotel de la Poste,
~ Oh cheerfully for our three weeks
- "a the mountains. ] won't trouble |
MN an account OF our daily wanderings |
Will 20 on TO tho night of the adventure
1ontion. We had, OF course, provided
Ives with guns, etc, when we left Eng
4Oplng to be lucky enough to get
3 wolf at least, or, as our vanity iondly 1
Dored, perhaps a bear ; but hitherto, al /
% We had been nearly fortnight in /
mountains, we had seen nothing larger |
- way of game than hare.
yo1l, one afternoon, Fortescue, jose, and
consultation As to what we should do.
Wcre at a point where we must decide
&othor 70 go down to the little village OF
- Luis where Jose assured us we should
tn good inn and q civil landlord, or
other We should go higher up into the
untnins and take our chance OF whatever
we might find. OF course
& ~ laAter suggestion proved the more at
Dkive with the half tinge Of adventure and
xneortainty TO the prosaic little inn at san
Ian; and 30 we decided notwithstanding
y oGne foreboding shakes OF the head from
ia We toiled upwards and onwsrds, trsvers-
nne wild and dreary expanse of country,
ku0W passing through dark odorous pine
3 1voods, now creeping round some bold
|5 Unoulder OF mountain whence We looked
down on dim, unexplored rayines, or farther
4 u mw some higher mountain range, its dark
3 1Idoo wooded with the gloomy cork tree, or
font py some kissing torrent, whose splash
e V4s the only sound that broke the silence,
ond round whose lofty crest wheeled An
y &ario in majestic solitude.
Talking cheerily to each other, or listening
& - Joeo's inexhaustible stock of legends, we
& ot length found ourselves close upon an inn,
md, seeing ruddy and cheerful glow from
i crate fire shining through the open door
way, We decided to stay tor the night II We
4 cU0ld be taken in. Jose told us the house
had been much frequented in bygone days
II ~ coutrabandists, and that once Napoleon,
e. q one of his generals Il could not understand
81 Which), had slept there during the flight
8tom Spain.
s The host, a stout, good-humored, gay little
Bayonnese, came forward at once, and after
= few words from Jose, in the manner OF
IL 8Q4ntards placed all that he had at our dis
Ss p0maL All that we wanted just then was
y supper and bed and while the former was
Ggkting ready we went upstairs to see what
The sleeping accommodation was like.
Neither Napoleon nor the contrahandists
oAn have been particular as to their bed
Il xoomR There was but one room with any
pretensou to comfort or cleanliness, aud in
That room we both decided to sleep, telling
Il Jose to get a fire lighted and another bed
g made up while we were having supper.
Thinking over things afterwards, remem.
s. her strange look lifted across the landlords
face when Jose told him which room We
meant to have, but he said nothing and
slightly shrugged his shoulders. However,
he and his wife and daughter got US very
e decent supper OF stewed hare and d bottle or
two of most irreproachable wine, which SC
lar restored our content and gOod-humOI
~ that We sat up until far into the night talk
# Ing and listening to Jose and our host, who
4 were discussing the chances of sport higher
IL mp the mountains on the morrow.
"Come things look better" said FOrtes
& cue - We entered our sleeping-room, wher'
now wood fire cracked and gloweC
@ warmly on the hearth. "But look here, the
old woman has lett her shoes behind her
lf nG! they must be the daughters; and nicely
shaped feet they are too-no denominations O.
high heels or pointed toes there; and what
beautifully arched instep! the traditiC ma
stream of water might safely pass under it. ,
said Bob, who WAS great admirer OF pretty
feet "Pll have look at that girl TO
morrow
!. Perhaps l had better put them outsid,
the door; she may want them in the morn
Ing before we arc down." l said consider
ately; and suited the action to the word.
II say, Jack, don't 'tmake such row, you'll
rouse the whole house. Joye! what
draught" said Bob, who was hshtin
another pipe at the tiTc.
6 "Rowi l made no row. / put them dow
Aa gently as possible | answered, taking OF
my shooting-jacket and winding up IN.
watch.
aWsll, old boy, don't be crusty; but
hullo! l say, Jack, didn't you put thos
shoes out after all y'
"Y-e.s, / answered slowly, for | was un
lsc;ng my boots at that moment, Why
you heard me, didn't you ?"
"Well, there they are, standing in exaCtll
the same place F."
Nonsense 20 1 said, for / know Bob wa
somewhat given to playing practical Jokes
M but i raised my head, and sure enough ther,
~-Were the shoes that | had minute befOrI
thfuwp out
q Bob aud looked at each ether for second
then
q Put them out yourself this time, Bob"
said, "if you don't believe me-" and quietly V
without word, he took them up and gentl,
& placed them outside. watched him keenl '
As he closed the door a shrilI moaning nois
doated through tho room, and a suddel
draught seemed to blow the candles almos
# ont
SHOW cold it is" said Robert with shiyer
ss g almost wish we had taken Jose's advic
aud gone down tG San Luis. | don't
But he stopped abruptly, and touching IN,
on the arm, pointed to the spot whence h,
had taken the slippers, aud Gere they lgcr
again
Now think you will admit that | am no
asUperstitious fellow or yet easily frightened
but certainly did feel a thrill OF nervous
ness run through me at the mysterious re
appearance of those horrid slippers as l noN
began to think OF them. Moreover, L kneI
Fort6scue had very sensitive Temperament
and had been advised by his doctor TO avoi
all mental excitement Therefore / had
' double reason for treating the occurrence a
II joke; first TO persuade myself that il wa
absurd to regard the incident as supernatural
and secondly, that by so believing | Nigh
sufficiently influence Fortescue to think th
same.
While these thoughts flashed through IN,
M mind Fortescue still had his hand on IN
arm, grasping it uuconsciOusly with an ever
tightening grasp; his other hand was out
stretched, pointing to the slippers, aud hi
eyes were liked on them with an eN pressi iOl
OF horror impossible to describe,
"Come, Fortescue," said with an effort
trying to laugh easily, "don't be so tragic
man; remember it is late aud we must bs n
early IL we want TO have try for a bear
and gently shook him by the shoulder.
The action seemed to rouse hun from ii
trance OF horror he had fallen into and with
great gasp for breath he passed his hand oyC
mis- eyes and in weak voice said sc
Jack, is 1t you? What do you want ?"
~ want you TO get TO rest like sensibl
man instead OF striking attitudes" 4" returne